MINISTERS STATEMENTS: ECONOMY

MR PALLAS (Werribee—Treasurer, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Industrial Relations) (14:21): Since 2014 the Andrews Labor government’s infrastructure pipeline has supported or will continue to support in excess of 190 000 jobs in this state. There are many Victorians who can take great pride in the fact that they are helping to build the future of this great state. That is a total of $184 billion worth of new and existing projects underway, transforming our state and making sure that we improve the way that people move around the state and how Victorians get to access the services that they are entitled to in their local communities.

Take our rolling stock—not the way those opposite wanted to take it, to Asia. Take our rolling stock and build it right here in Victoria. We have invested nearly $8 billion in over 300 new trains, trams and supporting infrastructure, supporting up to 10 000 local jobs right across the supply chain—trains built and maintained here in Victoria for Victorians.

With an unemployment rate 2.5 percentage points lower than in 2014 when we came to government, we are creating jobs in Victoria for Victorians. We have got on with the job of delivering the projects Victorians need despite a consistently raw deal from the commonwealth. Of course, the infrastructure funding from the Morrison government over five years was 20.4 per cent. Given that the state of Victoria is at least 26 per cent of the nation’s population, we have been egregiously dealt with, and we are looking forward to working positively with a commonwealth government that shares our views and our values and our commitment to fairness, whether it is building the Suburban Rail Loop with at least $2.2 billion worth of contribution or indeed an intermodal freight facility in our west.